Also, in a statement issued this week, TEPCO asked media organizations not to film the transfer of the cask containing the fuel assemblies from the air. "Some of those videos contain information (such as the transportation schedule, a route of the transportation, and activities of security guards) the disclosure of which conflicts with "Measures To Be Taken for Physical Protection of Specific Nuclear Fuel Material" stipulated in the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law," said the company. "Physical Protection" is described as being designed to "protect nuclear materials and facilities against the theft or unauthorized diversion of nuclear materials and against the sabotage of nuclear facilities by individuals and groups."

TEPCO is asking three of Japan's so-called "megabanks" to lend it yet more cash. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (as well as the Development Bank of Japan) lent TEPCO 700 billion yen in 2012. In December this year the company will receive a further 500 yen in new loans and refinancing. TEPCO is now requesting further funds on top. It is expected it would spent the money of overseas investment and the cost of increased thermal power production.

Other Nuclear News in Japan

Speaking to the UK's Guardian newspaper this week, TEPCO's president Naomi Hirose called the Fukushima disaster "a warning to the world". In words for companies planning new nuclear reactors in the UK, he said: "We tried to persuade people that nuclear power is 100% safe. That was easy for both sides. Our side explains how safe nuclear power is. The other side is the people who listen and for them it is easy to hear OK, it's safe, sure, why not? But we have to explain, no matter how small a possibility, what if this [safety] barrier is broken? We have to prepare a plan if something happens … It is easy to say this is almost perfect so we don't have to worry about it. But we have to keep thinking: what if …" He also warned British nuclear operators "should be prepared for the worst". Mr Hirose also admitted that TEPCO could have done more to prevent the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. "After I became president [in 2012], we formed a nuclear safety review committee. We focused mainly on what we could do, what we could learn. We had a lot of data by then. Three other reports, one from the Diet [Japan's parliament], one from government. We had a lot of information. Tepco's own report, too. We concluded that we should have avoided that catastrophic accident, and we could have. We could see what we should have done," he said. Addressing other nuclear operators, he added: "Try to examine all the possibilities, no matter how small they are, and don't think any single counter-measure is foolproof. Think about all different kinds of small counter-measures, not just one big solution. There's not one single answer. We made a lot of excuses to ourselves … Looking back, seals on the doors, one little thing, could have saved everything."

Meanwhile, Japanese House of Councillors lawmaker Taro Yamamoto, who attracted controversy earlier last month when he handed a letter expressing concern about the handling to the Fukushima disaster to Emperor Akihito during a garden party, is back in the news. Mr Yamamoto has received an envelope containing a death threat and a bullet. Last week an envelope addressed to Mr Yamamoto was found containing a knife. The Metropolitan Police Department of Tokyo are investigating. Mr Yamamoto, who was widely seen as having broken a taboo in Japan by attempting to involve the Emperor in political matters, was reprimanded and banned from attending any future events where the Imperial will be present.

Japan's government proposed a change to its policy towards disposing of nuclear waste this week. The policy of waiting for towns and cities to volunteer to host final disposal facilities for nuclear waste has failed, with no candidates stepping forward. The policy has been in place for over ten years. Instead, the government is proposing to draw up a list of candidate sites for storage facilities and then measuring public support in those places. “The government must take a leading role in setting up a framework to form a consensus among residents and in formulating measures to support areas (that host the facility),” said Hiroya Masuda, chairman of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy’s radioactive waste working group. Under the plans, only areas not threatened by volcanic activity or active earthquake faults will be considered.

Earthquake forecasts anyone?
"Under the plans, only areas not threatened by volcanic activity or active earthquake faults will be considered."
As far as I know we are not capable of forecasting earthquakes: Kobe was considered to be safe before its earthquake in 1995; the Po valley was a favoured location for nuclear powerplants but tanks to two referendums no plant was operating when the a quake stroke in 2012; in Germany salt domes chosen for storage of nuclear waste were supposed to be geologically stable but turned out to leak water... and on and on and on...

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(Unregistered) Beppe
says:

How do goverments measure public support?
"The government is proposing to draw up a list of candidate sites for storage facilities and then...

How do goverments measure public support?
"The government is proposing to draw up a list of candidate sites for storage facilities and then measuring public support in those places"

Excuse me? "measuring"??? is the goverment planning to hold town hall meetings where only a limited amount of people is allowed to join (including electric utilities employees in disguise) and then "measure" how many people clap their hands??

How about holding a binding referendum among all the population potentially affected by the storage facilities?

and since we are at it, why doesn't the Japanese government have the guts to call a referendum on nuclear power?

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(Unregistered) Ky
says:

Does anyone out there have an update on radiation levels in the major river running through Fukushima Province? About 16 months ago it was reported a...

Does anyone out there have an update on radiation levels in the major river running through Fukushima Province? About 16 months ago it was reported as "billions of Bq/L." Also, what about levels in wild animals - boar, bears and other forest-dwelling animals? Anyone know how they are faring?

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Karen Curios
says:

They are obviously being compromised! Come on, this is BIGGER than Chernobyl and STILL DUMPING INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, TONS A DAY!!! On the west coast...

They are obviously being compromised! Come on, this is BIGGER than Chernobyl and STILL DUMPING INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, TONS A DAY!!! On the west coast of N. America, they are already getting Fukushima in the air, through the rain, in the plants, and the Pacific Ocean is beyond tainted! Tune into social media with ppl in Japan or scientists like the ones in Portland, OR they are getting radiation readings there. they went from normal 10-17 cpm to now the norm is 30 cpm....and RISING NONUKESNW on Facebook is their group, they will have a lot of answers for you and the rest... They (TEPCO.JAP GOV) aren't telling us anything, they have been hiding the fact that it was STILL dumping into the ocean since 3.11.11!

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Karen Curios
says:

This is insanity that this company TEPCO could even possibly think that they deserve to start a NEW Nuclear Power Plant!!! Try solar and wind power id...

This is insanity that this company TEPCO could even possibly think that they deserve to start a NEW Nuclear Power Plant!!! Try solar and wind power idiots! They can't even control Nuclear power! They can't TURN IT OFF! MEanwhile while they are ignoring the fact that they have completely contaminated and unleashed a death sentence on the WORLD they have the guile to continue to ask for BILLIONS and impose even MORE upon society to STORE NUCLEAR WASTE???? This is an epic FAIL!!!!!! They should seriously be arrested thrown away forever, end all nuclear power everywhere and the world should move to wind and solar before TEPCO blows us all of the face of the earth! TEPCO is already silently killing MILLIONS of Japanese not to mention the sea life and the Pacific Ocean's entire eco system! FAILURES!!!! SHAME! And I think it's awesome that lawmaker Taro Yamamoto had the concern, courage and compassion for the world to hand an envelope of TRUTH to the Emperor! If he is murdered for it, that is just PROOF they don't care that they are extinguishing the entire world! Selfish greedy pigs.